Electrolytic apparatus



May 3, 1932. A. E. KNowLEs ELEGTROLYTIC APPARATUS Filed March 30, 1951 INVEN TOR A .E .XNOWLES.

FIC. I3n

Patented May 3, 1932 UNITED STATES ALBERT EDG-AR. KNOWLES, F HESWALL, ENGLAND ELECTROLYTIC APPARATUS Application led March 30, 1931, Serial No. 526,210, and in. Great Britain May 5, 193D.

la clectrolytic apparatus for the production of gases by the decomposition of an electrolyte it is customary to enclose either the positive or negative electrodes in a sleeve, envelope, or bag of asbestos which depends from the gas collecting bell. By this means the gases in the electrolvtc are kept separate .troni each other and collect in the respective hells in a high state of purity.

il lt has been found in practice that in multielect-rode cells, in which thc number of electrodes is even. and thus whichever electrode is enclosed one of the enclosed plates will be adjacent to one or other of the end walls of J the cell tank, difficultv is experienced in mainn taining the purity of the gases.

liv careful test, l have ascertained that in each case the bell oi an enclosed plate situated adjacent a tank end is at fault and is collectingthe impure gas.

The side. ot the end electrode which is toward the cell wall and does not face another and opposite electrode. releases for all pracfyy tical purposes no gas: and it is possible that the iinpnritv is caused lbjv gas from other electrodes passing along the bottom of the tank, np the end wall. and into the space between the idle side ot the electrode and its asbestos :io sleeve.

livhatever the cause mav be, a mixture, with consequent lowering of the pnritv. does nndouhted taire place at the end electrode A in these circumstances. which does not take i" place when the electrodes are uneven and an uncovered one is adjacent each end wall of the cell.

ln order to remedy this defectyI provide an m additional thickness on one side and at each end ot the envelope or sleeve of .such enclosed end electrode, whilst leaving the other side, which faces an opposite electrode, of normal thickness. if, The accompanyingdrawings illustrate a sleeve in accordance with a preferred ein bodiment ot the invention.

liigare l is a diagrammatic sectional plan vien' of a small cell showing alternate eleC- W trades in the enclosing sleeves.

Figure 2 isa perspective view of an improved sleeve.

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the end portion of a gas bell showing one arrangement for attaching a sleeve.

Figure 4 is a sectional plan of Figure 3 on lines 4-4.

Figure 5 is a cross-section on lines 5-5 of Figure 4.

In the diagrammatic sectional plan of a 6o cell, Figure 1, two electrodes are enclosed in Ordinar;v asbestos sleeves and one electrode in my improved sleeve a.

In this embodiment the additional thickness in the sleeve is obtained in acne piece 6l manufacture by overlapping more than half of the piece of material.

T o form the sleeve a I begin it with one end edge of the asbestos sheet at the line bf where an end of the sleeve merges normally 1o into the side which is toward another electrode. The sheet is curved from this edge to form the end c is carried along the side d which will be toward the cell wall; is then recurved to form the opposite end e and carried back parallel to the side d to meet the .first edile b to form the inner side f. From this point it overlaps the rst formed end c, is carried along the outer side d to double that, is continued around the second end e and terminatos where this end merges in the inner side f. At the edges the sheet is stitched, and at the bottom of the doubled side I prefer to blanket stitch or otherwise attach the lower edges of these double portions together as at g, Figure 2.

The sleeve or envelope a may be attached to the bell 7L in any suitable manner. I have usually secured a metal strip z in a hem at each upper edge of the sides of the sleeves, and secured the sleeves to the lower edges of the bells by pressing the upper edges under p clips 7' or inte:M al tongues formed by slitting the edges of the bells. At the end of the hell the sleeve may be secured by pressing its g5 hem into ay space formed between the end plate and two slitted and turned-in portions n, at dtle bottom of the bell sides, sce Figures The improved sleeve withits doubled wall m0 troly, electrodes of opposite polarity theremay be inserted by the same means and usually the clips'have suiicient resilience to accommodate the thickened edge Without needinfr any modification.

claim 1. Elec'trolytic apparatus for the production of gases by the decomposition of an electrolyte comprising a cell containing electrolyte, electrodes of opposite polarity therein, gas collecting means above the electrodes, enclosures of material permeable by the electrolyte for, at least, alternate electrodes and an enclosure with sides of unequal thickness for the electrode Which will be adjacent to a l Wall of the container, that side which is to- Ward the Wall being the greater.

2. Electrolyte apparatus for the production of gases by the decomposition of an electrolyte comprising a cell containing electrolyte, electrodes of opposite polarity therein, gas collecting means above the electrodes, enclosures of material permeable by the electrolyte for, at least. alternate electrodes and an enclosure with sides of unequal thickness for the electrode which will be adjacent to a wall of the container that side which is toward the wall as well as each end of this enclosure being,r of durable thickness of material.

3. Electrolytic apparatus forthe production of gases by the decomposition of an electrolyte, comprising a cell containingr elecin','gas collecting means above the electrodes and enclosures open at the bottom and connected to the bells at the top surrounding certain electrodes, the enclosure for an electrode v'which is adjacent to a wall of the cell being @made of a length of material bent into an elliptical enclosure and overlapping itself so as to double the thickness of material on one side and two ends thereof, the doubled side being directed toward the cell wall. y 4. An envelope for enclosing an electrod in electrolytic apparatus for the decomposition of an electrolyte and the production of gases comprising an enclosing curtain-like part for passing all around the electrode, means for suspendingr the curtain from a gas collecting` bell placed over the electrode, an overlappino part on said curtain which doubles one side and both ends of the enclosure.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ALBERT EDGAR KNOWLES. 

